Hour 3

How to get Windows to stop prompting for a password instead of just a PIN, Bluetooth connection issues between an mp3 player and a car stereo, how to get CarPlay to work in the iOS 12 public beta, erasing an Android phone and starting over, alternatives to Skype, do Macs need disk maintenance utilities? Windows 10 update problems, saving media files from a DVR, the difference between hardware, software, and firmware, and Chris Marquardt has photography tips on how to shoot with a 50mm lens.

Guests

Audience Questions

Audience QuestionsHour 1

Jim just got a new Honda and he can't get his MP3 player to pair with it via Bluetooth. Leo says that if he can connect his phone via Bluetooth, then it supports Honda's version of the A2DP standard. The question is, does that MP3 player support it? It may be that Honda doesn't properly implement A2DP. Most cars will pair with an A2DP standard, and if his MP3 player supports it, then it should. But since that car has Apple CarPlay, he can always use his phone to stream music.

From Mike B in the chatroom - Jim may need to just update his system firmware. He can find out how to do it at owners.honda.com. Leo says this works in the Accord, but it probably works for the CR-V as well. He should just park as close as he can to his Wi-Fi router.

Marshall updated his iPhone to the iOS 12 Public Beta. Now he can't turn on CarPlay in his phone. Leo says that he can type "CarPlay" in the search field at the top of the screen in Settings and it will show right up. But going to iOS 12 isn't advisable for a main device.

Joel has an older Samsung Galaxy S5 and it's just fine. But he isn't sure if he should wipe it and start over. Is that necessary like it is with a PC every once in awhile? Leo says that it's good housekeeping for a computer. It puts it back to the day it first came and gets rid of all the "cruft" he doesn't need. With a phone, it's a bigger challenge because of music, pictures, text messages, etc. Music and Pictures can be backed up to the cloud, or a PC, pretty easily. Text messages, though, is another challenge. The chatroom suggests this app from the Google Play Store.

Leo recommends turning on his Samsung and Google account and enabling "Backup and Reset". He could also root the phone and get rid of that Samsung Touchwiz overlay. Then he could install a better launcher like Nova Launcher.

Mark wants to know why broadcast ads will use the 'Alexa' trigger word that could hijack his Echo device. Leo says that in Amazon's commercials, they actually use an inaudible sound behind the trigger word that prevents the device from taking action on it, but it may be that other advertisers don't know about this. Leo says it may even be against Amazon's rules to use trigger words in flash briefings.

Audience QuestionsHour 2

Alan wants to know if MacKeeper is a good Mac maintenance tool. Leo's not a fan. Not only because it's not a very good utility, but simply because Alan doesn't need that kind of utility on the Mac. The OS is so mature now that those utilities that cleaned the hard disc and kept the registry in order simply aren't needed anymore. There already is a disc utility on the Mac and that's really all he needs. Alan could try Alsoft Disc Warrior, but at $100, Leo doesn't think it's worth it.

Sam took a long vacation and now he keeps getting a password challenge in Windows 10, rather than his PIN. Leo says he can't set up Windows with a PIN unless he sets a password. It's likely tied to his Microsoft account. Leo says to try that. Once he inserts it, then he's logged in. It probably reverted to the Microsoft password after a long time of inactivity. Once he uses the Windows password again, he'll be good to go.

Every time Terri uses Bluetooth with her iPhone in the car to make a phone call, the other side gets an echo. Leo says that it's possible that the phone is using its microphone, and the car is using Bluetooth. That can cause an echo. There could be a setting in iOS to use the car microphone when using Bluetooth. Leo also suggests un-pairing the phone, and then re-pairing it. That almost always fixes problems like this.

Micah has been frustrated with Skype making unwanted changes and he eventually just gave up and chose to use Google Hangouts instead. Leo says that the sad thing about Microsoft buying Skype is that they continue to dumb it down to make it "easier" to use. But it gets frustrating because it doesn't always help when it comes to sound quality for recording.

Audience QuestionsHour 3

Dale updated to Windows 10, but when the January update came out, he ran into a lot of issues. Should he go back to Windows 7? Leo says no. That's not the answer. Lately, there have been issues with updates coming from Microsoft, and it's not unusual for some computers to have issues with large updates. A simple fix is to start fresh with Windows 10. Dale should back up his data, then format the hard drive and reinstall Windows. He should first go to Microsoft and download the Media Creation Tool. Then he can put that on a USB key and plug it in. He can then wipe his hard drive and reinstall.

John has fiddling with the RG45 jack on his DVR and discovered that he could play his programs through his Roku device from it. He could also copy them to his PC and play them through Kodi. Can he convert them from there? Leo says that TTS is a "muxed" file that he can play, and it's probably MPEG 2. Almost anything that can read video files, like HandBrake, could do it. VLC definitely could play it. The DTCP.IP files, though, will need a special player. DTCP.IP is for playing back files using DNLA. It's also copy protected and may have 4K content inside it. But for those that he can watch, he should enjoy the back door while he can, because they'll likely close it sooner or later.

Ricky has Sonos, and after a recent update, he can't get his Sonos speakers to play in party mode. Leo says that may be due to it choosing a speaker to act as the main portal. Leo has had similar issues, and he solved it with a boosted Wi-Fi device. A recent update was supposed to fix all that. The more likely issue, though, could be plain old congestion. Everything has Wi-Fi now, and as a result, it causes rush hour. Leo recommends un-pairing everything. Then he should connect one Sonos Connect device to his router via Ethernet, and then let every other Sonos device connect to it via Wi-Fi one at a time. A Mesh Wi-Fi router like Eero, could also help.

Robert has an Epson printer and the print quality isn't good. Leo says that inkjet printers need to be used a lot in order to keep the nozels clean. Ink can dry and it can clog. He can run the cleaning utility several times to clear out the clog. The downside is that it uses a lot ink. But it's the only way to get it back to printing good prints. If he only uses a printer occasionally, a laser printer is a much better option.

Joy wants to know what firmware is? Leo says that firmware is the software that a computer or device uses to operate its system. It's software that is protected because you need it to run the actual device so that the software can translate instructions that the device understands.

This Week in Tech News

There's a huge security flaw in WINRAR, that will enable hackers to take over your computer. So Leo advises that if you use WINRAR to zip/unzip your files, that you should update to the latest beta version. But you have to go to the WINRAR site and manually download the update. There is no automatic update.

Accusing Apple of anti competitive behavior, Spotify's music streaming service says that the company charges a 30% commission for subscriptions through the Apple store, while charging 30% less for their own music service.

Leo bought the Samsung Galaxy S10+, a phone with 10TB of storage, 12GB of RAM, and a ceramic back. For $1500. Leo says it's a really nice phone. Reviews are mixed, but buyers seem to like it, with preorders doubling the last generation. Samsung has avoided "the notch," but instead, they have a "hole punch," which houses two selfie cameras. Is that any different than the notch? Not really. It's also nearly as big as the Note 9 and has the best screen on the market. But Leo says it's so fast that it's hyper-responsive. It reacts to being touched on the edge. It also has three cameras on the back. It also has an under-screen fingerprint ID, which isn't very fast and requires a little patience. AND IT HAS A HEADPHONE JACK!

In a new announcement, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that Facebook is moving towards a more privacy-focused experience, including encryption, private groups, and more. Zuckerberg admitted that Facebook doesn't have a reputation for security and privacy, and they plan to change all that. With sharing on Facebook going down by 25%, especially with younger users, Zuckerberg says that the social media network is going to move from a town square, to your own living room. It's a serious PIVOT. Leo says that Zuckerberg has made promises like this before, so we'll have to wait and see what happens. Is it possible to have a privacy-focused Facebook? Only time will tell, but Leo says it's a good idea.